Tonight’s episode of Revolution, “Ties That Bind,” tackles a subject that this show really hasn’t covered before: family. Also, we get to see the backstory for the final member of our tribe- Nora.

We begin tonight in Freeport, Pennsylvania, where Team Miles is approaching a Monroe outpost because they need to get to Camp Monroe and the outpost is blocking a necessary bridge. As they attempt to walk through, they realize that it’s an ambush. Moreover, it’s controlled by Strausser, one of those characters who is so evilly evil that when Charlie asks who he is, she’s told “you don’t want to know.” A guy so evil, he won’t shoot an unarmed and surrounded Miles after he stole the amulet because … Again, this guy is problems.

Before we get to that bit, the first half of the show is taken up by Strausser’s kidnapping of Nora’s sister Mia, and his threat to kill her if he isn’t given the amulet. So, in possibly the shortest Mission of the Week yet, they cause a distraction and snatch her from Strausser’s grasp. This is interspersed with flashbacks where we learn that Nora and Mia (played by younger actresses) were close; traveled together; and had a father and a mother, both of whom went missing or died following the blackout. Like most flashbacks, these didn’t really add much to the relationship, its depth, the story, or the emotional impact of anything.

Mia wants Nora to leave Team Miles and return with her to Texas and their father, but she refuses to consider it until she is given a lesson on the importance of family. In a Twist!, Mia turns out to be working for Strausser the whole time, and she stole the amulet from Aaron to give to Strausser who, at the end, gives it to Monroe. I’m a bit critical of the show, but I do appreciate the speed at which they move the overall plot forward and that they didn’t give us several redundant weeks of Keep the Amulet Safe.

Julia and Tom “Captain Tom” Neville on Revolution

(Photo by: Brownie Harris/NBC)

Meanwhile, at Camp Monroe, guards are savagely beating Nate because he bribed a stable boy for information on Strausser’s mission. Monroe accuses him of treason and tells Neville that he’ll either send the boy on a potentially suicidal diplomatic mission to California (whose residents Neville describes as “heathens,” so… did we learn about next season’s Big Bad?) or execute him for betraying the republic. Neville learns from his wife that another high-ranking official’s son was more treasonous, so he rats on the other guy and saves his own son. This leads to a conversation where Julia tries to convince her husband to overthrow Monroe because he’s gone insane and paranoid and also because when TV writers struggle to give a female character something to do, they pray to the Altar of Lady Macbeth. However, Neville doesn’t sound interested in this position so I assume it’ll never be brought up again.

Finally, we close the episode with Gloria and Randall Flynn. Turns out, they are in some unknown location monitoring all the amulets from a fully functional base. For sake of ease, let’s call it The Hatch. Flynn then charges Gloria to take care of the Monroe problem as we pan back to see tubes, machinery, and possibly that generator that made the people in Flash Forward flash forward.

Next week, with only two episodes left this year, the show really kicks it up by already placing Team Miles at Camp Monroe, though I have to imagine they arrive close to the end of the episode. I wouldn’t be surprised if Monroe’s line to Miles “you going to try to kill me?” is the last line of the final scene. Also, it will feature music from Led Zeppelin, which is a huge deal because …

Additional Thoughts • When Mia is convincing Nora to abandon Team Miles and join her and their long-long father (whom it turns out has never been found), Nora is hesitant because she promised Charlie to help on her quest and that Danny is Charlie’s family. Mia responds “I’m your family.” Fun fact: their father is also Nora’s family. • Strauss seemed to have pretty impressive weaponry for a world of muskets and swords. • How long until Nate betrays Camp Monroe and joins Team Miles? I mean, it was obvious from the start of the series, but now it’s even more apparent. • Seriously, why is music from Led Zeppelin a huge deal? Nothing against the band, but I hear them used in other shows and movies regularly. They’re on the radio constantly. I don’t think Revolution is going to be playing unheard recordings or rare tracks. And the promo for “No Quarter” didn’t say “featuring music from Marvin Gaye.” Though No Quarter is actually a Led Zeppelin song so maybe this all does tie together!